Public
School Choice Permitted Throughout the State (9):Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Utah, and Wisconsin
This At-A-Glance Overview highlights two broad categories of reform that work to institute fundamental change in the system: school choice and charter schools. Here's an overview of school choice and charter programs in place, state by state, around the country.
Public
School Choice Permitted Throughout the State (9):
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Utah,
and Wisconsin
Public School
Choice Ongoing Within Some or All Districts (21):
Connecticut, California*, Georgia, Idaho*, Indiana,
Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts*, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey*,
New York, North Carolina, North Dakota*, Ohio*, Oregon, South Carolina,
Tennessee*, Texas, Washington*.
* In CA, ID, MA, NJ, ND, OH, TN and WA, the state offers open enrollment but
districts are not required to participate.
Charter School
States That Have Strong to Medium Strength Laws (Grades
A-B):
Arizona (1994), California (1992), Colorado (1993),
Delaware (1995), District of Columbia (1996), Florida (1996), Indiana (2001), Massachusetts (1993), Michigan (1993), Minnesota (1991),
Missouri (1998), New Jersey (1996), New Mexico (1993), New York (1998), North
Carolina (1996), Ohio (1997), Oregon (1999), Pennsylvania (1997), Texas
(1995), Wisconsin (1993).
Charter School
States That Have Weak Laws (Grades
C-F):
Alaska (1995), Arkansas (1995), Connecticut (1996), Georgia (1993), Hawaii (1994),
Idaho (1998), Illinois (1996), Kansas (1994),
Louisiana (1995), Mississippi (1997),
Nevada (1997), New Hampshire (1995), Oklahoma (1999), Rhode Island (1995), South Carolina (1996),
Utah (1998), Virginia
(1998), Wyoming (1995).
Update: A weak law was passed in Iowa in April 2002. Full CER Analysis and Grading to come.
Click here for state-by-state charter school statistics.
Private Sector
Scholarship Programs
65 programs serving 57,000 children nationwide, including in the following
cities:
Albany NY (3 programs); Atlanta GA; Austin TX; Baltimore MD; Battle
Creek MI; Birmingham AL; Bridgeport CT; Buffalo NY; Chattanooga TN; Chicago IL;
Dallas TX; Dayton OH; Denver CO; Elizabeth NJ; Fort Worth TX; Grand Rapids MI;
Hartford CT; Houston TX; Indianapolis IN; Jackson MS; Jersey City NJ; Knoxville
TN; Little Rock AR; Los Angeles CA; Louisville KY; Memphis TN; Midland TX;
Milwaukee WI; Minneapolis MN; New York NY (5) Newark NJ; Newark NJ; Newark NJ;
Oakland CA; Oklahoma City OK; Orlando FL; Overtown FL; Philadelphia PA; Phoenix
AZ; Pittsburgh PA; San Antonio TX 2programs); San Francisco CA; San Francisco
CA; Schenectady NY; Seattle WA; Silver Spring MD; St. Louis MO; Troy NY;
Washington DC (3).
Publicly-Sponsored
Full School Choice (3)
Cleveland OH; Milwaukee WI; Florida
Publicly-Sponsored
Secular School Choice
(2)
Maine; Vermont
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